


Nap-time

by barbarac110



Series: Arkham Asylum [2]
Category: Harley Quinn (Comics), Joker - Fandom, Suicide Squad (2016)
Genre: Arkham Asylum, F/M, Hallucinations, Insomnia, Mental Health Issues, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence, Possessive Behavior, Pre-Suicide Squad (2016), Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-20 11:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbarac110/pseuds/barbarac110
Summary: When sleep deprivation starts taking a toll on the Joker and there is no Batman to distract him, he seeks out the one person at Arkham that can. But combining lack of sleep and confusing feelings regarding his little doctor is a dangerous thing to do.
Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel, Joker (DCU)/Harley Quinn
Series: Arkham Asylum [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119827
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Apologies for the hiatus! I wrote this story a while ago and took some time to edit it here and there before posting (that's the perfectionist in me). 
> 
> When I posted Playdate, I mentioned that there was an untitled story in the works. Well, this is it. Again super sorry I posted this series all out of order. So reading order goes Playdate, Nap-time, Sharing Isn't My Strong Suit. 
> 
> In comparison to the other two stories, this one is a but mellower, less action packed but I had fun writing it and playing around with these two. 
> 
> I will try to update every Wednesday. I hope you enjoy the first two chapters!

Joker paced the length of his small room for what felt like hours. Sleep evaded him for days; his body held onto the restless energy that he always seemed to have, driving away any sleep. He blamed it on the fact that he was bored about 98% of the time in Arkham. Nothing and no one interesting really existed inside the asylum’s walls for him to play with. The guards feared him, and those who were brave enough to try and show otherwise usually learned quickly what he’d do to them. While messing with them was occasionally fun, it got old quick. He didn’t interact with other patients --they were too drugged out or too easy for him to even try and manipulate. It was well known that he often agitated the other patients, making even the more docile ones uneasy and possibly hostile. The closest thing that gave him some mental reprieve was, ironically, his therapy sessions with Dr. Quinzel. 

The carousel of voices in his head would also not _shut up_. Their distorted speech and screams echoed in his head, making it harder to rest. His ever increasing boredom made them more active and while he could often tune them out and ignore them, the lack of sleep was making it harder to do so.

They weren’t so bad --they gave him ideas about his escape, Batman, and other things, which he appreciated. Joker could drown them out with his thoughts or ignore them to the point where the noise was just a hum. But recently, when he tried to close his eyes, the screams and his unrecognizable dreams would torment him. They made it hard to fall asleep and when he eventually did, the dreams he had caused him wake up covered in cold sweat. 

So he paced, hoping to wear himself out and silence the voices. 

——————————

The guard watching the Joker looked at him wearingly, not liking the way he was muttering to himself and pacing. 

“Fuck it,” grumbled the Joker while running hand through his desheveled faded, green hair. _Might as well find her._

At this point he didn’t care if he was going to get _Harley_ or _Harleen_ , messing with either of them would alleviate his boredom.

He banged on the plexiglass that made up the first wall of his cell and called for the guard. 

“What do you want, clown?” asked the bald, barrel chested guard who walked over.

“My, my… such a tone. I wanna see my shrink.” 

The guard checked the chart that hung on the outside of the Joker’s cell, which detailed his therapy session schedule and medical plan, “You’re not scheduled for a session today.”

“Yeeah well. I’m feeling a little… unstable. Ya know, _crazy_ ,” he slammed his hands on the wall and gave the guard a slow, manic smile to drive his point, “Got these pesky voices in my head tellin’ me all kinds of stuff. Who knows what they’ll tell me to do… or who to hurt.” 

The guard felt beads of sweat gather on his forehead and his throat tightened at the low, menacing tone the Joker spoke with.

Joker laughed at his reaction. “You wouldn’t want me to hurt myself because of these voices, wouldja?” He gave the guard a pout. 

The Joker had been to Arkham enough times to know that if a patient threatens to hurt themselves, they would have to be brought to their doctor immediately for an evaluation. With a sigh, the guard radioed the Nurses Station for them to inform Dr. Quinzel that the Joker would be coming to her for 907 evaluation. 

“Step back and hands forward,” instructed the guard while unlocking the door with his key card.

The Joker grinned victoriously and compiled. The guard entered, clasped the restraints on the Joker’s pale wrists, and muttered, “Let’s go” while holding on to one of his arms.

Joker bared his teeth at the guard’s touch but walked through the hallways to Dr. Quinzel’s office without resistance. The voices in his head hummed as they approached the door to her office and Joker tried to tune them out. They were too distracting —it would make messing with her more difficult, and he didn’t want their company right now.

The guard knocked on the wooden door that had her name inscribed on a metal plaque. 

“Come in.” called a pleasant, feminine voice from the otherside of the door. 

Joker’s heart gave a hard, slow _buh-bump_ at the sound of her voice. He shook his head at the little jolt of excitement that rushed through him, making the back of his neck tingle, and told himself that it was just his body getting excited to toy with her and nothing else. 

The guard brought Joker through the door and his eyes roamed around the office. It was a decent size, big enough that a large bookshelf fit against the wall to his right and a two seat couch with a folded grey blanket was in the middle of the room. A large black desk was in the far end of the room by the windows, and Dr. Quinzel was sitting in a comfortable looking leather chair, busily writing something down while staring at the screen of the large monitor that was mounted on one side of the desk. The other side of the desk held stacks of papers and files, some were open but Joker couldn’t see what was inside.

The Joker smirked at the state of her desk, _Busy, doc? All the more fun_.

“Got a code 907 here for you, doctor,” said the guard, dragging the Joker to her desk. 

Harley looked up from the screen, meeting the Joker’s gaze. He grinned at her and curled his fingers, giving her a little wave. She raised an eyebrow at him while looking at him incredulously but Joker just grinned wider and took in her appearance. Long, wavy--blonde hair fell loose around her shoulders and down her back; her black framed glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose, magnifying her azure eyes. 

Joker hummed softly to himself. _So we got Harley today._

Over the past months, he began to pick up on the nuances that distinguished _Harley_ from _Harleen_ and more and more, Harley came out to play. Harleen was quite captivating, but what intrigued Joker even more was when she let go of the goodie two shoes doctor persona she portrayed so well and let Harley come out to play. There was a kind of feral energy to her --a darkness that Joker couldn’t quite figure out but when he managed to get glimpses of it, boy did he like it. 

“See, he keeps mutterin’ and talkin’ to himself,” said the guard, pulling Joker out of his thoughts.

_Focus!_ Joker scolded himself, shaking his head at some of the thoughts that crowded his mind. 

_You’re here to toy with her, stop thinking like that!_ Growled another voice. 

“Thank you Marcus,” Harley said, getting out of her chair, “You can just settle him in the chair and then you can go.” She rounded the desk to stand by Marcus, and flashed him a dazzling smile that did not go unnoticed by Joker.

He narrowed his eyes at her, not liking the way she smiled at the man. It made him clench his teeth and want to hit something, or someone, _hard._

Blushing, Marcus stuttered, “S-sure thing doctor,” and then shoved the Joker in the chair. 

Harley began leading the gushing man out while he chatted with her, causing the Joker to turn his head back to glare at them. _What is she doing?! NO! Mine!_ A possessive feeling came over him, making him stand back up as if he was going to run after her and drag her back. 

_Yessss. Maybe you should remind her,_ seethed one of the more menacing voices that plagued his mind. He shook the voice off, stayed in place, and watched his doctor make nice with the guard at the door. 

“I'll be back in two hours but feel free to call me if you need me for anything. _Anything,_ you hear?” said Marcus a bit too sugestively for Harley’s (or Joker’s) liking. 

She gave him a strained smile, resisted the urge to slap him, and thanked him while closing the door with a shake of her head. 


	2. Chapter 2

“So...” she turned from the door to walk back to her desk, “You have voices telling you to hurt yourself and others?” Her tone was only half-skeptical. 

She knew he heard voices. His occasional mutterings during their sessions and the late night video recordings of him pacing in his room, looking like he was talking to someone told her as much, but she didn’t know the extent to which they directed his thoughts and actions. He glowered at her when she came to stand next to him.

“What?” She asked, not liking the look he was giving her, as if she did something wrong. He didn’t respond, but flashed his eyes to the door and then glared back at her. 

Harley rolled her eyes, “What, you wanted him to stay?” The sass made the Joker smirk a little. 

“You mind?” Joker lifted his still restrained wrists. 

Harley walked back to her desk, glad that he snapped out of his mood somewhat, and opened the top drawer where she kept a key to his restraints. The guards didn’t know about it, and both Arkham and Leland sure as hell didn’t; they would’ve never agreed to having him be unrestrained in a room with any psychiatrist given his track record. But an unspoken agreement existed between the blonde psychiatrist and her green haired patient --as long as he didn’t harm her, he would be unrestrained in her office. The session room they normally met in was a different story, but sometimes she would turn off the camera, blaming the asylum's faulty wiring so he could be free. 

The Joker towered over her as she stopped in front of him to unlock the wrist restraints. The top of her head reached just past his lips. The close proximity of him sent her nerves on the fritz, reminding her that he could harm her but, there was something else there too. Something that she knew was not right to feel.

She noticed despite his lanky stature, he was quite muscular and the small scars that were scattered on his arms told her that he could defend himself, and do his own damage. 

Her hand lightly grabbed his right wrist, he flinched at the warmth for her hand. “Promise you won’t hurt me?” She asked, in a slightly serious tone. 

“Scout’s honor.” Joker replied, raising three fingers in a salute. 

Harely snorted, “As if you were a scout.”

An amused smile stretched across his lips.  _ She’s in a good mood. This is going to be fun! _

Harley undid one of the restraints. He rotated his freed wrist a few times, alleviating the soreness from the tight cuffs while his eyes gazed down at her as she undid the other cuff. A strand of sun kissed blonde hair fell across her face and he fought back the strong urge to push in back behind her ear. Her soft, blue cardigan was a few shades darker than her eyes and the contrast made them seem brighter. His eyes lingered on hers when she looked up at him but then they traveled lower, past her tight black jeans, to the fuzzy grey socks with white stars. 

“Heh, nice socks,” he said teasingly, Harley looked down at them with a blush. The playfulness in his voice told her he was more amused than trying to be hurtful. 

_ Guess he’s in a good mood today _ , she thought while looking back at him.

Harley shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t see any patients today so I can dress down a bit. Ya’ gotta be comfortable sometimes ya know?” she blushed a deeper shade of red as the Brooklyn accent slipped out. Joker smirked at the little slip up. 

He liked her accent, it was a part of her that was authentic and even though she did a thorough job of hiding it, it managed to sneak out when she let her guard down or became angry or annoyed. Even around other doctors like Dr. Leland, who she had a friendly relationship with, the accent never surfaced. Most of the time she was sophisticated Dr. Harleen Quinzel --a brilliant psychiatrist with a penchant for studying the extreme personalities of society. Give her a couple hundred thousand dollars and with her charms and reputation, she’d be a shoe in for Gotham’s own Knickerbocker club. But around him, another side of her would peak out. 

Joker sat down in the small chair once she finished unlocking his other wrist, stretching out his long legs in front, and crossing one ankle over another, “But you’re seeing me,” he said smugly.

Harley rounded the back of her desk chair, took a seat, and began typing on the keyboard while looking at the computer monitor, “Well threatening to harm yourself usually means a pretty lengthy psych evaluation and a 48 hour suicide watch hold, but I highly doubt even you want to be watched like that.” 

“Mmmhmm… depends who’s doing the watching.”

Harley shook her head with a small smile at his suggestive purr. 

“Kershaw said you haven’t slept in a few days.” Harley commented in a slightly concerned voice but not meeting his eyes. Her eyes darted back and forth between the monitor and the file that she had opened up on her desk, writing in it every few seconds. 

“Dontcha’ mean  _ Marcus? _ ” He said snidely, imitating her high voice. 

Harely ignored his little remark, but looked up from the file she had written in to look at him. The clenched jaw and narrowed eyes intrigued her as he clearly wasn’t over the way her exchange had gone with the guard. His possessive behavior was well reported by previous psychiatrists but it was always towards his criminal empire rather than people. To him, people were expendable and once they served his purpose, he didn’t care what happened to them. And yet, here he was, baring his teeth at mention of another man’s name from her lips. But that was something she’d explore further another time; right now, she had other issues she wanted to address. 

“Are you feeling okay?” She asked, noticing purplish bags under his eyes and the drained look he tried to hide behind his half scowling, half pouting expression. The bloodshot veins in the whites of eyes made his green iris standout more than normal, making them glow but also look very tired.

The soft look she was giving him and the genuine concern in her voice made Joker’s skin prickle. He couldn’t remember the last time someone looked or spoke to him like that. Any concern he had for himself or others was long gone --it was a pointless emotion that only caused doubt and when it came to his plans, there was no room for that. It was a  _ weakness _ and that was not tolerated. His eyes sized her up, trying to find an underlying motive to her question but he was only met with gentle blue eyes. There was something about her voice that tempted him to tell her about the horrific nightmares that plagued his dreams every so often or about the  _ girl  _ he sometimes encountered, who he didn’t remember but oh so desperately wanted to. He could tell her about voices that shouted and screamed at him throughout the day, and how he didn’t know who they belonged to but felt attached to. The uneasiness grew, making him antsy and causing the previously muted static in his head grow louder. 

_ Don't be weak! She just wants to fill her notes on you. She’s a phoney! Phoney!  _

“I’m just peachy.” Joker said with a slight growl, frustrated with the mixed emotions he was feeling. 

“He said you’ve haven’t been eaten in a few days either.” Harley responded, making Joker laugh humorlessly.  _ Someone’s paying a bit too much attention to me.  _

“Awh doc, you do care.” he said sarcastically. “Have you tasted the food? Even I’m not immune to that poison.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. 

“Yes I do care,” Harley snapped and narrowed her eyes at him a little. She knew he was immune to certain kinds of toxins and poisons but she didn’t appreciate his dismissal of her concern with his joking. “If you don’t at least try, they’ll force you to. With a tube. I doubt it’ll taste any better that way.” 

Joker looked daggers at her,  _ oh kitten got some claws hmmm _ . “Is that a threat doctor?’ 

Any playfulness that Harley heard in his voice was replaced with a low, gravely voice that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and a cool sensation go down her spine. She was very much aware of the subtle shift in his demeanor since asking him if he was okay. His capabilities to harm others was something Harley was well acquainted with and she understood that leaving him unrestrained opened herself up to that possibility. Even if he was restrained, that wouldn’t stop him --his attack on her during the second week of their sessions proved that, as did his ability to easily get out of restraints that didn’t completely immobilize his hands and arms. 

Harley took a deep breath to calm her nerves before shaking her head, “No, it’s advice.” Her voice wavered a little but she held her own by meeting his scrutinizing gaze.

The longer his bloodshot green eyes stared into her stormy blue ones, the thicker the tension in the room became. The more violent voices liked the bits of fear that she tried to hide from him but the quick intake of breath and the dilated pupils gave her away. They fed off it, shouting loudly in his head to do more, to  _ really _ make her scared. Joker ignored their sadistic goading and continued to peer into her eyes as they widened and became a bit brighter. 

_ Oh… this is interesting, _ he thought to himself watching excitement dance in her eyes subtly. The mixture of fear and excitement seemed to battle each other, making her eyes turn dark and electric, which made his chest tighten. 

He liked seeing the mixture of emotions stir in her. It reminded him that she was not at all what she presented herself to be; there was something else there that he wanted to bring out. Joker first saw this when he attacked her during their early meetings, but wrote it off as a spur of the moment thing. The second time he saw it was after his little scuffle with Batman but that time, there was more fire in her eyes, signaling to him that what had seen wasn’t a fluke. There was something about him and dangerous situations that unleashed a hidden side of her for a brief moment. He used these little moments and body tells to toy with her, to see how far he could push her. Joker knew one day he would find out what would happen if he pushed her over the edge and every interaction with her got him one step closer to finding out. 

_ Doctor, doctor. Who are you hiding behind this mask hmmm?  _ He thought as her unrelenting gaze turned more scrutinizing, her head tilting to the side slightly.

_ Only one way to find out! _ Shouted the malicious voice in his head, snarling suggestions that would leave her bloody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild cliff hanger. Y'all know what to do


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments and kudos! As promised, here's another chapter! Keep an eye out for possibly another chapter later this week!

Joker jumped out of his seat at the things the voice was telling him to do and walked towards the entrance of the room, putting a good deal of distance between him and his doctor before he did something that the voice suggested. He didn’t want to give into the voice and began to convince himself that hurting her now wouldn’t be worth it; she was needed for his plans of escape. Harley fit somewhere in his plan but just exactly where and her role in all of it was a little fuzzy. 

He yelled at the voices to _shut up_ as they mocked his little attachment to the doctor. There was something about her that intrigued him and perhaps that’s what made his usual two-steps ahead thinking convoluted; he hadn’t figured out what it was about her that drew him in and made him feel things he thought he let go of long ago. Needless to say it frustrated him immensely and his exhaustion didn’t help clear up any of it or quiet his mind. 

_Just kill her!_

_No._

_She taunts you! Kill her!_

_When?.....wait, what? NO! Somethings there, gotta know. She’s part of the plan! Need her to get free._

_No, she’s messing up the plan! C’mon! Big picture!_

Harley flinched a little when Joker jumped out of his chair abruptly. She watched him pace by the front of the room, muttering to himself while pulling at his already disheveled hair. Although she could quite make out what he was saying, Harley knew it was related to some sort of internal turmoil he was having and given his scowl and hair pulling, he was not very much in control of himself, which she knew he hated. Part of her wanted to go over to him and try to calm him down but a bigger (and maybe smarter) part told her to stay put knowing he could lash out unintentionally at her. Following the more logical route, Harley stayed put and watched Joker burn a hole in her carpet.

_Okay so auditory hallucinations are definitely there. Maybe he should be on some antipsychotics… as if he’ll take them_ , Harely thought to herself. Other doctors noted this in his file but also wrote that drug treatments rarely worked since the drugs had little effect. She made a mental note to check his records to see if she could find a better dose and drug.

Joker stopped in front of the bookcase and Harley could hear him mutter _‘plan’_ and _‘need her’_ which sent little warning bells throughout her body.

_Okaaaaay. Best to let him cool off_ , she decided with a nod and went back to filling out patient files and turning on the volume of her computer slightly to hear the football game she was streaming. Maybe the noise would also distract the Joker and pull him out of thoughts for a bit so she could go back to talking to him while finishing her work. 

Harley also welcomed the distraction that the football game provided --updating files was not her favorite thing to. Most of the files were of low level patients with easy treatment plans but both treating them and updating their files bore her immensely. It was her least favorite part of her job but something that still had to be done. At least she could do it in her office where she had a nice comfy chair and could watch football to pass the time. 

Harkey switched back and forth between reading the files and updating them on her computer while listening to the game and occasionally watching it. 

“Jesus Christ! Where’s your defense?!” Harely exclaimed as the opposing team managed to evade various tackles and score a touchdown easily. 

Joker turned to look at her following her outburst, picking up on the sound coming from her computer, effectively pulling him out of the argument he was having with the voices. He cocked his head to the side and watched as Harely wrote something down and shook her head.

“What are you doing?” He asked in an interested voice, standing next to where she was sitting to investigate.

“Oh!” she said surprised by his voice and proximity. His voice was softer, completely contrasting the way he was speaking before. Her eyes drifted over the files on her desk as if she’d forgotten what she was doing and met his intrigued gaze. “I’m updating patient files.” 

Joker’s eyes scanned the names that were printed outside of the files but none of them were of any importance to him. _Boring!_

His eyes drifted to the paper coffee cup that was by her keyboard. 

“Ooo coffee!” He said giddily, grabbing the cup and bringing it to his lips to take a drink. Once the black liquid fell on his tongue, Joker spit it back into the cup, scrunching his face in disgust. 

“Hey! I was gonna drink that.” Harely scolded, grabbing the cup from him and getting up to throw it in the trash bin by the end of her desk.

“Good thing you didn’t! Whatever that was, it wasn’t coffee. It was worse than some of my toxins. Hmm, maybe I should use it.” He said with a thoughtful look and only half joking.

Harley let out a small laugh. His heart beat a little harder at the sound. Joker liked her laugh, especially when he said something funny. It rang in his ears like bells. 

“Well it’s no light vanilla latte but beggars can’t be choosers in here.” Harley went back to her seat, looking back at the open file on her desk, trying to find her place. 

Joker picked up a notepad with Harley’s neat loopy, handwriting inked on it. The cheering noise coming from her computer took his attention away from the notepad, making him raise one questioning eyebrow at her. 

Harley looked back at the screen where the game was playing and at the Joker. She shrugged her shoulders, “I like football. Baseball season is over so… Plus the noise makes working through this-” she gestured to the scattered folders, “-go by faster.”

Joker snickered at the confession. “Never figured you for a jock.” Harley narrowed her eyes at his teasing. “You look more like the honor roll, cheerleader, American pie type.”

“You don’t know me.” 

Her low, steely voice sent a small shiver down the Joker’s spine, making him stare at her wide eyed. No one has ever gotten that kind of reaction out of him before. The semi-angry look in her eyes drew him in even more. 

_Ohhhhh this is something alright,_ he thought as her pretty blue eyes turned a shade darker, reminding him of a storm rolling into the sea. The black framed glasses she wore magnified the ferocity, sucking him in. _Drowning him_.

He could hear the hard thudding of her heart. Or was it his? He couldn’t tell. Her scent permeated the space but he wasn’t sure if it was her perfume or just _her_. It wasn’t the tawdry smell other female psychiatrists had --it was more of a subtle smell, a sweet musk that was intoxicating. 

“Hmmmmm….” he hummed. _So full of surprises._

Harley sucked in breath as his face came closer to hers. He could feel the heat from her face, a rouge spreading around her cheeks as blood rushed. She would’ve said something when he muttered something about being full of surprises but her mind was a bit hazy, plus she didn’t think he realized he said that outloud. Captivated by the intensity in bright green eyes and the inquiring look he was giving her, Harley stayed frozen in her chair. An emotion she couldn’t quite place was also there but whatever it was, it sent her head swimming and blood rushing as her nerves tingled. Especially since his face kept coming closer and closer to hers.

A loud chime popped the trance-like bubble that settled in the space between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know what to do :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts, comments, edits, suggestions always appreciated :)


End file.
